Distant Warmth
by Shinomori Maru
Summary: Chichiri is afraid that Tasuki will find out how he really feels about him. Sappy, fluffy, shounen-ai/yaoi, rated for lime and bandit-language.


**Author's note:** Thanks to those who reviewed my first story, _Fake My Life_. I really appreciate it! You guys are the ones that inspire me to write TasChi in the first place, so...

Here's another story, this time it takes place after the OVA (I haven't seen the new one, so I guess before that). Probably filled with cliches, but I don't really care. Chichiri + Tasuki shounen-ai/yaoi and eventual lime, so if you don't like that sort of thing, go read a different story. Rated for bandit-language too. R&R, but flames will be ignored/deleted. Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yugi, Tasuki, or Chichiri; Yu Watase does. This story is written solely for non-profit enjoyment, so don't sue me.

"..." = speech  
/.../ = thoughts

**Distant Warmth**  
by Fujimiya Maru

Chichiri was nervous beyond belief. He had known Tasuki for how long now? Two or three years? They had fought side by side, traveled extensively together, and shared a bond deeper than most people experience in a lifetime. So why was he so nervous to share a bed with Tasuki at this inn?

/Because you're afraid you'll molest Tasuki-kun in his sleep, no da/ Chichiri sighed with frustration. It was hard enough being so close to the fire seishi, but to share a small bed? Tasuki liked to sleep without a shirt on!

"Oi, 'Chiri, why so quiet? Are you going to drink your sake?" Tasuki's voice broke the monk out of his inner dialogue.

"E-eh, nothing, no da!" he chirped cheerfully and downed his glass of sake, grateful that his mask hid his blush, as well as his wandering eye. /Why does Tasuki leave his shirt unbuttoned like that, no da.... Is he tormenting me on purpose?/

Chichiri shook his head, trying remind himself that he was monk. They had finished eating, and Tasuki looked like he'd had almost enough sake. It was getting late in the evening. Which meant... it was almost time to go to bed. The butterflies in the monk's stomach got worse at the thought.

"Chichiri? Are ya sure yer okay?" Tasuki's gaze was serious and concerned for his friend. It wasn't like the normally bright and talkative monk to be so reserved.

"Ah -- yes, I'm fine, Tasuki-kun no da. I'm just a little tired, so I think I'll head up to bed, no da." With that, the blue-haired man moved to stand up and make a hasty exit.

"Well, wait up, then! I'll go with you!" Tasuki drained the remaining alcohol from his glass and stood up as well. /Oh Suzaku, why me? Please give me the strength to keep my hands to myself tonight, no da./ 

********

Tasuki snores. Quite loudly. He's a messy sleeper, too; early in the evening he flung out one of his arms and nearly hit Chichiri in the face. It was difficult enough for the monk to sleep next to the bandit, but Tasuki had hogged all the blankets. This forced Chichiri to sleep closer than necessary to keep warm.

/This is ridiculous, no daaaa.../ Chichiri reminded himself to either find an inn with two rooms next time, or to sleep out in the woods. He hadn't been able to sleep a wink like this.

Despite the snoring, he found sleeping next to Tasuki quite nice. Tasuki was warm, and smelled really nice... Nice like spices and pine needles, he decided. Chichiri berated himself for thinking such thoughts, but couldn't help it. He had realized his feelings for the bandit early on, but kept them to himself for fear of how Tasuki might react if he ever found out.

/Tasuki's all I have left. If he found out, he'd hate me! Then he'd leave, and I couldn't handle that.../ He felt tears start to well up in his good eye, beneath the mask.

/I am a monk. I am a monk. Monks do not have feelings for young rude bandits, no da./

He repeated it in his head many times until he finally fell asleep, but it didn't make it true.

********

Tasuki woke late in the morning, his head feeling heavy and his mouth dry. /Too much sake last night.../ he thought, but then quickly reminded himself there's no such thing as too much sake. He smirked inwardly. /Man, 'Chiri probably got up hours ago. I should go find him - /

The bandit then realized he didn't need to look very hard for the monk, because Chichiri was still in bed with him. Not only that, but in his sleep the blue-haired monk had snuggled up to his side and wound his arms tightly around one the bandit's arms.

He squirmed a bit, to see if he could get the monk to let go of him, but Chichiri only sighed and snuggled closer to his shoulder. /What the hell...? Why isn't he up meditatin' or doing monk-like things anyway?/ Chichiri had been acting strangely for a while, but this was _way_ too weird.

"Oi, 'Chiri." The monk only murmured a bit. "'Chiri!" A little louder this time, but still nothing. Tasuki took a deep breath, and yelled, "CHICHIRI!"

"...DA!!!!" Chichiri snapped awake, and realized what position he was in. Turning chibi and flailing away from Tasuki, the monk fell off the bed and hit the floor with a resounding thump.

/What in the name of Suzaku was I doing??? I must of cuddled up to him in my sleep!!! Oh no, he probably thinks I'm a freak now, he'll be mad, what if - / The hysterical thoughts going through his head were cut off by Tasuki peering down at him and laughing. "HAHAHA! Man, 'Chiri, chill out! What's the deal, anyway? Ya never sleep in like I do!"

Chichiri looked at his friend hesitantly. /... He's not mad?/ He glanced out the window, and realized the sun was indeed quite high in the sky now. It was probably almost lunchtime... He really slept that late?

Tasuki was still staring at him, waiting for an explanation. The monk looked confused... and worried. This really started to bother the bandit. Was something seriously wrong with his companion? Was he coming down with an illness?

Chichiri snapped out of his shocked state. "... You startled me, no da. I-I guess I didn't sleep very well last night..." He trailed off, staring at the floor. 

This was so mortifying! He was blushing redder than a tomato right now, and although the mask covered his face, it didn't cover his neck! /Please don't let Tasuki notice Please Please Please.../

"Well, that's too bad. Hey, let's go get lunch, I'm fucking starving!" Tasuki was still suspicious that something was wrong, but he knew he probably wouldn't be able to pry anything else from the older man.

The blue-haired seishi could only watch in awe as Tasuki got out of bed, the sunlight from the window streaming in and highlighting the tan, muscular planes of the bandit's chest. Getting up off the floor and slipping on his shoes and kesa, his heart felt heavy in his chest.

/It's not right, I'm a monk. I can't keep doing this, no da. This is just too hard./

Following Tasuki down to the tavern, he resigned himself to do what he felt was best for both of them.

********

"Wh-what? Yer gonna keep traveling by yerself? What the fuck, 'Chiri?!?!?!" Tasuki gaped at his friend. Was this what was bothering him? /Chichiri doesn't want to travel with me anymore? Why??? Was it somethin' I said?/

"W-Well, we've been wandering around together for a long time, no da. I figured you'd want to get back to Mt. Leikaku, Kouji-san and your friends are waiting for you na no da." The monks heart felt heavier and heavier as he said this. He didn't really want to part with Tasuki, but it hurt too much to stay together. He'd even chosen this spot in the path to tell him. The path forked here; one path led straight to Mt. Leikaku, the other went elsewhere.

"Well, yeah, but why now? Are ya mad at me or something?"

"No, no, Tasuki-kun no da. It's not you at all! I'm sure a young bandit like yourself is bored traveling around with a monk, no da! Besides, I'm used to traveling by myself..."

"Fuck that!" Tasuki fumed, punching a nearby tree and showering the ground with bark. "That's stupid. Why can't we keep traveling together?"

"I just think it's time-"

"WHY?!?!?!" Chichiri winced at the bandit's hoarse shout.

/He's making this so hard for me. Suzaku, make him understand!/

"Tasuki..." he started, but was abruptly halted when the bandit stepped closer and ripped the mask right off his face.

"If yer goin' to ditch me here, now, I wanna know the real reason. No fuckin' excuses, 'Chiri. We've been through too much fer that." The bandit glared intently at the older man's maskless face.

Without the mask, the monk felt vulnerable and fearful. "I can't..." he stuttered weakly, but didn't know what else to say. /I can't tell him the truth!/

Tasuki was confused by the emotions he found in the monk's lone mahogany eye. He looked _scared_. He had never known the eldest seishi to be scared... Hell, Chichiri was the most powerful of all the Suzaku seven!

The bandit moved even closer, placing his hands on Chichiri's shoulders. If something was wrong with his friend, he'd do everything within his power to fix it. Didn't Chichiri trust him?

"Please," he said gently, looking the monk in the eye. "Tell me why..."

Chichiri found himself drowning in Tasuki's amber gaze, and drawn to his warmth. /Oh Suzaku, I love him so much.../

The pull on the monk was too much, and he leaned forward and kissed Tasuki on the lips, deeply. In his shock, the bandit stumbled backwards until he hit a tree, the monk still clinging to him and working his tongue inside Tasuki's mouth.

/Wh-wh-what???? He's kissing me! 'Chiri's kissing me!... and he's really good at it!/ Tasuki's mind started to shut down as the older man continued to caress and taste his mouth. When he began to tenatively return the kiss, Chichiri tore away abruptly, his eye wide with the horror of what he'd just done.

"T-T-Tasuki, I -" he stammered, not able to look his friend in the eye. "I-I-m so sorry, I didn't mean to - I mean, I didn't -" /What have I done???/

Tasuki, still breathless from the kiss and leaning on the tree, just stared at him with wide eyes. Chichiri continued to back away, unsure of what to say. /H-he's disgusted with me, I can tell by the way he's looking at me! I can't... I can't stay here!/

The monk promptly pulled his kasa off his back, and jumped in. Before Tasuki could say anything, all he heard was a fading, "I'm so sorry, no daaaa...." and the monk was gone.

"'Chiri, wait!... SHIT!"

********

Tasuki had waited there for days, at the fork in the path, for Chichiri to come back. Eventually, hunger and cold won out, and he headed up the path to Mt. Leikaku. After all, if Chichiri wanted to find him, he knew that the bandit stronghold was a good place to look. Then again, his monk friend was so powerful, he could probably find Tasuki no matter where he was.

/But, what if he doesn't come back?/ He had been worrying like this ever since. He had loved traveling with fellow seishi; Chichiri was the only one who understood him and what they went through. He had been so relieved when he wasn't the only one left after Suzaku was summoned, and even happier that it was Chichiri he was stuck with. /He may be a monk, but he's so fucking cool!/

The bandits, with the exception for Kouji, were weary of him now. As if they were afraid of him, the great Suzaku warrior. Tasuki snorted at this. He may have come back, but he couldn't go back to being Genrou the bandit leader. He'd even told Kouji to continue being leader. Besides, if Chichiri didn't come and find him...

/Then I'm going to fucking find _him_. If only I knew where to look... Damn it!/

He had replayed the kiss over and over in his head. Chichiri was a monk, he didn't feel that way, did he? Especially about another man! Tasuki had always known about his own preferences, but kept them quiet. As a bandit, he had a reputation to keep up. 

Putting down another bottle of sake, he looked around his chambers sadly. He missed the excitement of being out on the road, traveling, the great taverns all over Konan, and... most of all, he missed Chichiri.

He missed his company, all the neat stories he would tell, how he'd smile -- not the mask, but his real face. Chichiri had a really nice face, even with the scar. He always found being with Chichiri comforting. Maybe it was the way he smelled like incense. 

Tasuki paused. It seemed like Chichiri might have feelings for him, but did he feel the same way?

/Well... yes./ He sat down on his bed, shoulders slumped. If he had reacted differently to the kiss, maybe Chichiri would be here with him instead of running away. Looking over at his table, he looked regretfully at all he had left. Chichiri's mask, the one he had ripped off before the kiss. He had always hated the damn thing, hiding his friend's handsome face. Next to it, Chichiri's kasa, which hadn't disappeared after he'd jumped into it.

Tasuki had tried to follow the monk into the hat, but found that unfortunately, it was just a regular hat again. /Damn it to hell!/

He curled up on his bed, trying to reach out with his mind and find Chichiri. He may not be good at this chi stuff, but hell, they had a connection as seishi, didn't they?

It didn't work. He couldn't feel anything, except for alone. Never a religious man, but figuring his title of celestial warrior might earn him a little consideration with the gods, he prayed to Suzaku for Chichiri's safe return.

********

Instead of transporting himself to Mt. Taikyoku, Chichiri made his way as far from the mountains as he could go. Now in the forest surrounding the plains of Hokkan, he shivered by his tiny campfire. What he had feared the most, had come true.

/Da... I don't know what hurts more. The look on Tasuki-kun's face after I made a fool of myself, or being separated from him now./ 

He stared at the trees, his ruby eye filled with regret. He hadn't made a new mask yet; there weren't many people around here. He was too tired to do magic, anyway. He was completely exhausted both emotionally and physically. A gust of ice-cold wind swept his campsite, chilling him further.

He hadn't traveled alone since before the miko came, and now he was finding that he didn't like it as much as he thought he would. He was really cold. /If Tasuki was here -/

He stopped himself. Tasuki wasn't here, wouldn't be here, would never be in his life ever again. The bandit was probably up on his mountain, laughing it up with his bandit buddies, doing all sorts of bandit things. /He's probably already forgotten about me, no da./

The thought made Chichiri feel terrible and relieved a the same time. He hated the idea of losing Tasuki, but Tasuki would move on and live his life.

The monk stiffled a yawn. /It's for the best./

Snow began to drift down around him. Thoughts of his broken heart and Tasuki were suddenly pushed aside as he realized he didn't have any shelter from a snowstorm. Chichiri felt like smacking himself over the head with his staff. Why hadn't he teleported someplace warmer?

Standing and preparing to teleport elsewhere through his cloak, he found his fingers to already be quite numb from the cold. He could hardly feel his staff in his hand, and couldn't feel his feet at all. The wind was gusting stronger -- this was a quick-moving blizzard, the kind you _don't_ want to get caught in. He started the spell, but another blast of wind threw the kesa away from the base of his staff.

"Damn it, no da!" He ran after the dark blue cloth, and tried the spell again. By now his little campfire had been completely extinguished.

Once again, as if the gods themselves were taunting him, his kesa was blown away before he could finish the spell. This time it was flung high in the air, and got caught on some tree branches.

Determined to get the hell out of this frozen wasteland, Chichiri attempted to climb the tree to retrieve the cloak. Unfortunately, his frozen fingers couldn't hold onto the bark, and he slid back to the ground. Panicking slightly, he tried to hit it out of the tree by swinging his staff at it. No good; the branches were out of his reach. Out of breath, freezing, and even more exhausted, the monk slumped to the floor of the forest. Snow melted through his green pants, making him colder, and his normally gravity-defying bangs were plastered down over his face. 

Chichiri realized that he was stuck. He couldn't escape the blizzard without his kesa, which was inaccessible. He was too tired to try and walk and find shelter. This spot was so remote, there may be no one for miles anyway.

/This is it, isn't it, no da? Suzaku, why do you want me to die here?/

The snow was coming down furiously now. The monk curled up on the ground, feebly trying to hold onto what little warmth he had left. Knowing that all was lost now, he let his thoughts drift to a certain red-haired bandit.

/Tasuki.../ he finally let tears spill down his face, unable to do anything else but grieve. /I'm sorry for what I did and I'm sorry I'll never see you again. I love you.../ He imagined what it would have felt like to be held by the bandit, to have his feelings returned. He remembered how good that one kiss felt...

Chichiri felt his head growing heavy, and gave into the urge to sleep.

********

"Ya know, Genrou, it just isn't like you to mope around like this. What the hell is wrong with ya?" Kouji looked across the table at his buddy. "Is it that Chichiri guy? Did you do something to piss him off, or what?"

Tasuki only growled and gave Kouji a look that told him he better shut up, or else. The red-head finished off his sake and avoided the stares of the other bandits.

"Why the hell you'd want to hang out with a monk so much is beyond me, anyway," Kouji continued. "What exactly did you two do for two years?"

"Just... wandered around. Nothing much." Tasuki muttered into a fresh cup of alcohol.

Kouji frowned. He was so glad that his buddy had finally returned to him, but he was acting so weird! Where was the Genrou he missed so much?

"Well, whatever. Yer back now, and things can go back to the way they were before."

Tasuki slammed down his cup and glared fiercely at the blue-haired bandit. "Like hell they can," he muttered darkly. Kouji's eyes widened in surprise.

"What? Why the hell not?"

"Because they can't!!! Damn it Kouji, you fought against Kutou too, you know what happened. How the hell can I forget all that?" Tasuki pushed away from the table and made to leave the room, too angry to try to explain to his friend.

Then he felt it. Cold, unbearable cold, piercing through his soul like an arrow. /What the fuck...?/ He felt all the blood drain away from his face, and his heart sink in his chest at the feeling of this cold.

"Genrou? You okay, buddy? You look like you've seen a ghost..." Kouji hesitantly reached for his friend's shoulder.

"Something's wrong. Something's wrong with Chichiri... Kouji, I haven't felt this since the other seishi _died_, it's like..." Tasuki couldn't say it, it couldn't be true, right? /Chichiri can't die!/

Leaving his friend confused in the dining hall, Tasuki ran to his room as fast as his Suzaku-granted speed would allow.

********

Running into his chambers, Tasuki thought wildly about what he should do. Chichiri could be anywhere. Even with his speed, could he get there in time?

/Cold. The pain was cold. When Nuriko died on the top of that mountain, the shock we felt was cold like that. Does that mean Chichiri is somewhere cold?/

His heart beating fast and running his hands nervously through his hair, he paced his room.

/Cold. It's cold in Hokkan. Is Chichiri in Hokkan?/ Something inside the bandit answered yes. /It'll take me days to get to Hokkan, what the hell am I supposed to do...?/

He stopped at his table. Chichiri's kasa was still there. It hadn't worked before, but this was an emergency!!! He picked up the hat quickly, and then after a second, a blanket off his bed.

"SUZAKU!" the bandit yelled in the air, not caring if the rest of the bandits thought he was crazy. "SUZAKU! CHICHIRI IS GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T HELP ME SAVE HIM! PLEASE!"

With that, he moved to get into the hat. In a surprising flash of red light, he went through.

********

After landing in a snowbank head-first, Tasuki had wandered around a bit trying to find Chichiri. The kasa had, luckily, made the trip with him, and was still glowing faintly red. The bandit guessed this meant he could get himself and Chichiri back to Mt. Leikaku through it.

It was one hell of a blizzard; but Tasuki couldn't understand why even the powerful monk got stuck in it. /I have to find him fast, or it'll be too late. I could die too, if I stay out here too long.../

The bandit tried to shrug off such morbid thoughs and focus on his task of finding Chichiri. Never good with locating chi, he had to depend on just looking around.

There was no sign of the blue-haired man. The snow was already halfway up Tasuki's shins. There was no telling how long the monk had been out in this cold...

Then he saw it; a weird dark shape. Something hanging from some trees, a few meters away. Figuring it might have a clue to Chichiri's whereabouts, he made his way towards it. As he neared it, he realized what it was.

Chichiri's cloak. 

"Chichiri!" the bandit called out to his friend over the howling wind, but there was no sign of him. /He's out here, _without_ his cloak, Suzaku, don't let him be dead!/

He was so intent on looking around, he didn't notice the snow-covered lump at the base of the tree. Well, he noticed it, but only after tripping over it.

Realizing that it was a person he'd just stumbled over, and Chichiri no less, he scrambled to pick him up and wipe the snow off of him. Chichiri was soaking wet, his skin unnaturally pale, and his lips the same shade of blue as his hair. And he wasn't moving.

"Shit!" Tasuki hurriedly wrapped the blanket he'd brought around the monk's motionless form, then grabbed the kasa. It quickly surrounded them in that familiar red light, and the two warriors disappeared from the snowy landscape.

********

The kasa seemed to have a mind of its own. Instead of plopping the freezing seishi back on Mt. Leikaku, Tasuki found them outside an inn. He looked around, trying to get his bearings.

/This inn... is the one we stayed in before he ran away from me./ Tasuki shrugged, figuring anything was better than the two of them freezing to death in Hokkan.

The innkeeper was rather startled by the men's sudden arrival, but gave them a room anyway. He didn't know where they came from, or why they were covered in melting snow, but they were good customers whenever they stopped by.

Tasuki set his friend gently on the bed, and set about checking his vital signs. For a terrifying second, he thought his friend had no pulse, but it seemed to come alive under his fingers. The monk's chest was rising in shallow breaths, as well. The bandit sighed with relief, and set about ridding the monk of his wet clothing. It was a job he enjoyed a little too much perhaps, and he tried to remind himself that Chichiri had nearly frozen to death.

Once Chichiri was dry and wrapped in blankets, Tasuki realized he was quite cold and wet too. Stripping the heavy material off, he decided the best way to get his friend back to normal temperature was to warm him up himself. Smirking gleefully, he slid into bed with Chichiri and wrapped him up in his arms.

Tasuki marvelled at how soft the monk's skin was, and how good it felt to hold him like this. His heart ached at the thought that he nearly lost this wonderful man. /Suzaku, thank you. I won't let him go again, honest./

********

Chichiri had been having a dream about red, red fire. It wasn't that scary, it was nice and warm in fact. Vaguely the monk wondered if he was dead now, and engulfed in the holy flame of Suzaku. /This must be heaven.../ he moved more towards the warmth. /Hmmm. Heaven smells good. Heaven smells like... Tasuki?/ Now he was confused.

Feeling oddly tugged back to reality, he realized that he actually wasn't dead, and wasn't in the Hokkan snow anymore. He was in a very warm bed, snuggled up against a very warm person. A quick glance upwards told him whose shoulder he was resting his head on. 

Then he noticed that he wasn't wearing any clothes.

"...DA!!!!" Chichiri started, completely bewildered, but Tasuki caught him before he could turn chibi and fall off the bed again. He held him close, nearly nose-to-nose, and gave him a sleepy smile.

"Mornin'. How are ya feeling? Are ya all right?"

Chichiri felt himself blush at the intimate position they were in. "Tasuki?" He whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Wh-what happened?"

Tasuki tightened his hold on the monk, his face turning serious. "I found ya in the snow in Hokkan, 'Chiri. I thought you were going to die. I was so scared..."

"Tasuki..."

"'Chiri, please don't run away from me again. I was miserable without ya. And... I really liked it when you kissed me, that time. So please, promise me ya won't run away again?" Golden eyes pleaded with him, but the monk could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Tasuki-kun no da, what? I don't understand - " Seeing that the blue-haired man was frightened, Tasuki silenced with a rather passionate kiss.

/Tasuki is kissing me! Why - no way, does this mean...?/

Rational thought was thrown out the window as the bandit started to kiss his neck and shoulders, his hands beginning to roam the monk's body as well. Tasuki's fangs dug into a particularly sensitive spot on the older man's neck, making him gasp.

"Tasuki, I love you..." the monk practically moaned out, unable to control himself.

"I love ya too, 'Chiri." Tasuki said, slightly muffled against the other man's neck. He sat up over Chichiri and pinned his arms over his head. "Now, are ya gonna promise not to run away from me again, or not?" 

Chichiri smiled; a true, heartfelt smile. "I promise. I'm sorry I left you like that and made you worry..."

"Aw, s'okay. I'm sure you'll find a way to make it up to me..." Tasuki said suggestively, returning his hands to the monk's body. Chichiri threw his head back on the pillow, unable to speak coherently with the bandit teasing him. /This really is heaven, no da.../

"Chichiri..." the bandit stopped, another serious look on his face.

"Yes, no da?" 

"You can teleport and all that shit. Why were you stuck in that snowstorm?"

"Kesa blew away, no da." the monk replied flatly.

"I saw. It was up in a fucking tree. Ya couldn't get it down?"

Chichiri shook his head. "I tried, no da. But it was too hard, and it was too cold, and I gave up." His gaze turned sad again, remembering how much it hurt thinking he would die alone.

Tasuki held onto him as if he would disappear. "Idiot! Don't ever give up again! Do you really think I can live without ya?" Chichiri smiled into the bright red hair, inhaling the scent he loved so much.

"I won't give up hope, as long as I have you by my side, Tasuki."

Both men relaxed, realizing that everything was going to be fine now that they had each other. They stayed in bed till lunchtime, but neither one got much sleep.

********

Up on Mt. Taikyoku, Taitsukun shook her head. Turning to the regal man beside her, she scolded, "I thought you made a point to not interfere with people's lives, even if they are your celestial warriors."

Suzaku-seikun looked unimpressed by the wrinkled old woman. "I am the God of Love and Fire. I have a reputation to keep up."

"Well, Mr. God of Love and Fire, I think you might have done too good of a job..."

Various shouts came from Taitsukun's big mirror, including, "Tasuki, no da! How did you learn to do that with your tongue no da!... DA!!!" Shaking her head once again, the controller of the world waved her hand and made the scene disappear from the mirror.

"Hey," pouted Suzaku-seikun. "I was watching that."

~owari~ 


End file.
